Resilient gear.



G, M. EATON.

RESILIENT GEAR.

APPUCATION HLED FEB-4.1916.

1 ,2'8% 2@9@ Putenfed NOV. 12, 1918.

WITNESSE S: v INVENTOR [F W v BY Wig YQZQJ ATTORNEY GEORGE M. EATON, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIG AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RFSILIENT GEAR Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

Application filed February 4, 1916. Serial No. 76,163.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon M. Enron, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Resilient Gears, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to resilient gear wheels and particularly to gear wheels that are adapted to be interposed between the ber and resilient cushioning means between 1 the hub and the rim members which shall provide universal cushioning, through a limited range, between the two members relative to one another.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a resilient gear constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofa modified gear wheel in the position it assumes when in service; and Fig. 3 is a detail View of another modified gear wheel.

Referring to Fig. l, a resilient gear wheel 1, which is adapted to be mounted on a shaft l comprises a hub member 2, radial arms 8 and projections 4 and 5 extending from each. arm 3. A rim member 6, which surrounds the hub member, is provided with gear teeth 7 and inwardly projecting lugs 8-Wli ch are disposed on the middle of the rim member 3. Spring-supporting members 9, winch are provided with radial pro ections 10. are attached to the lugs S by means of bolts 10. projections 4, 5 and 10 have openings 11, 12- and 13, respectively, which are providcd with tapered scrcw-thrca-C for a purpose tobe described.

When the gear wheel is assembled, the

projections are disposed in sets of three projections each composed of one projection 10 and of two projections 4- and 5. Each projection 10, as has been set forth, is radially disposed upon the rim member 6 and the projections l and 5 of each set are lociltetl in planes parallel to the projection 10 of the same set. The openings 11, Hand 13 in the projections l. 10 and 5 are alinecl with each other and the screws threads are tapered so that a frusto-conical spring 14 may be screwed through the three projections 4, 10 and 5. Plugs. 15, 16 and 17 are screwthreaded in accordance with convolutions of the spring 1 and are tapered so that. they may be screwed into the spring 1% and hedge the sameagainst the screw threads in the respective projections l, 10 and 5. A g

In the modified gears illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, parts which are similar to the parts f the gear illustrated in Fig. 1 will be referred to by like reference characters.

in the modification illustrated in Fig. 2, the projections l and 5 are mou ntcd upon spring supports 18which are joined to the arm ii by means of bolts 19. Thearms 3 in this modification are shortened in order to reduce the weight of the gear.-

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 3, the projections l and 5 are mounted on a spring support 20 by means of bolts '21. In

this modification. the arms 3 extend beyond the spring support 20 so as to forma limit to prevent excessive displacement of the rim member (3. In a gear wheel constructed in accordance with my invention, the springs ilwill provide a limited universal cushion-' ing moansbctween the rim and hub members. Thus. in Fig. 2 the gear wheel is shown in engagement with a pinion 22 with the center of the rim member 6 displaced relative to the center of the hub member 2. The above-limited universal movement betwoenthe hub and rim members permits the teeth of the hub and rim inen'ibers to mesh perfectly, permits the pinion 22 to have transverse play on its axle without disturbin the mesh of the gear teeth and eliminates =1 ash.

. evident that modifications in the speuctural details may be eiiected witho. parting from the spirit and scope of the invention and I desire, therefore, that oni such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claimsv I claim as my invention:

1. In a resilient driving mechanism, the combination with a hub member and a rim member, of means comprising springs secured to the hub and rim and having flexible parts intermediate said secured parts whereby said hub and rim may have universal movement relatively to each other.

2. In a resilient gear wheel. the combination with a hub member having radial arms,

and a rim member mounted on the hub member and having inward projections, of springs screwed into said projections for resiliently joining said members and for supporting the rim member on the hub member.

3. In a resilient gear wheel. the combination with a: hub member having radial arms, projections extending from said arms, and a rim member having inward projections, of helical springs screwed into said rim' projections and the projections from said arms, each of said springs being associated with one rim projection and two hub projections, 1 and means associated with each of said projccti-ms for wedging the associated spring in contact therewith. v

i. In. a resilient driving mechanism, the combination with a hub member having pro- -"jections thereon, of a rim member having projections thereon extending into the spaces between the projections on the hub member, and springs secured to and connecting the projections on the hub and rim and having "flexible portions intermediate said projections whereby said hub and rim may have a limited universal movement relatively to each other." 5- in a resilient gear wheel, the combina- 'tion w th a hub member, radial arms extending outwardly from said hub member, projections extending from said arms, a rim member mounted on said hub member, and ,or'ojections extending inwardly from said "rim .member, of helical springs screwed to through said rim projections and the projections from said hub arms for resiliently joining said hub and rim members and for supporting the rim member on the hub member. Y Ina resilient gear wheel, the combination with a hub member, radial arms extending outwardly from said hub member, .a plurality of spring supports attached to "said arms and each having two projections extending therefrom, a rim member having lu s projecting inwardiy, and spring suppnzts attached to said lugs and each having one radial projection extending radially therefrom, of helical springs for resiliently joining the projections mounted on the rim member to the projections mounted on the hub member. V 7. In a resilient gear wheel, the combination. with a hub member, a rim member mounted on the hub member, and a plurality projections disposed in sets of three parn l projections each. each set having two .p ejections joined to the hub member and one l to the rim member, of a plurality of firings, the projections of each set one radial projection disposed between the first mentioned projections and joined to the rim member. of a plurality of helical springs for resiliently joining the projections attached to the rim member to the projections attached to the hub member.

9. In a. resilient gear wheel, the combination with a hub member having radial arms extending outwardly therefrom, projections extending from said hub arms, and a rim member having radial projections extending inwardly therefrom, of frusto-conical helical springs for resiliently joining said rim projections with the projections on sai'dhub' arms, and retaining means for securing said springs to said projections, said retaining means for each projection embodying a screw-threaded opening to'receive convolutions of its associated spring and a screwthreaded plug to wedge, the convolutions of the spring against the threads through the projections.

10. In a resilient gear wheel, the combination \vithia hub member and a rim member of resilient means comprising helical springs secured to said members whereby the same may have a limited universal movement relative to each other. i

11. In a resilient gear wheel, the combination with a hub member and a rim member 105 surrounding said? hub member, of means comprising springs having parts thereof secured to. said hub-member and to said rim member whereby the rim member and hub member may move laterally relatively to each other and rotate about different axes.

12. The combination with a resilient gear wheel comprising a hub member and a rim member provided with teeth around its periphery, and a pinion in mesh with the teeth of the resilient gear, of resilient means comprising springs secured to said rim memberv and to said hub member to permit the inter- I meshing teeth on said gear Wheel and on said pinion to determine the alinement of.1 0 the rim member relative to'the pinion, and to permit the pinionto be moved in line with its axle relative to the 'hub' member without interfering with meshing of the teeth on the gear wheel and the pinion. v V

13. The combination With a gear Wheel having a hub member and a rim member provided with teeth around its periphery, and a pinion provided with teeth around its periphery and meshing with said gear Wheel,

menses of a plurality of projections extending from said hub and said rim members, and means comprising springs for joining said projec tions to cushion. said gear Wheel, said springs being secured to said projections on the hub and rim; whereby said hub and rim may more relatively to each other and said teeth may inter-mesh without clearance at the root of the same.

H. In .n resilient gear whee], the eon'lbinaition with :1 hub member having: projections eXtendiIly therefrom. and n rim member si1r ronnding said hub member and provided with imvnrdiy extending projections, of means eompri in springs for joining said projeetions. said springs being rigidiy 11ttiu-hed to said projections and having intermediate flexible portions to permit the rim ent means having the intermediate member and the hub member to rotate about diiterent axes.

15. In a resilient gear wheel the combine; tion with a hub member hznin orojeet-ions extending therefrom and a rim niber surrounding said hub member and prodded with inwardly extending projections dis-- posed between said hub projections, of r" siiiportions the rim projections and the ends thereofsecured to the adjacent-1y disposed hub projections to permit the hub and rini members to .qifect a iiniited universzii n'io'i'einent reiatii'e to each other.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of Jan; 1916.

thereof secured to GE ORGE M. EATS-1? 

